The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-06

looks the faults of one party in the same de-
gree that II magnifes those Of their oppo-
nents, making mite of wrong on one side
larger than mountain of corruption on the
other II perverts even our sense of Justice
and our imagination What partisan can
hold the scales Of justice even between him
self and his opponent? From one end of the
Union to the other it puts barriers of dis
trust between neighbors whose confidence
on very other subject is unbounded. Its
false colors-do they not envelop our whole
political history, setting every great event
and every noble name of the past in false
light to half the people, and in the present
make it inevitable that every great states
man and great measure shall be overesti-
mated by all adherents of one party as much
as they are disparaged 10y all those of the
other"
At the annual alumni meeting Rev. Theo-
dore A. Hopkins was elected president,
Charles r. Allen secretary and George w,
Wales treasurer The report of the obituary
committee embraced the names of Stephen
Leonard Herrick of the class Oh 1924 Rufus
Case, class of 1888; James Forsyth class Of
1889; William Almon Wheeler class of
1912; Daniel William Gilfllan and Amos
Persons Pritchard, class of 1917 George
Louis Waterman, class of 1860: James
Henry King, class of 1878, and William
Denison, class of 1880. The junior class ex-
hibtion was held in the evening, and ora
tions were delivered by ten students
Wednesday was commencement day, when
orations were delivered by eight graduates.
Degrees in course were conferred, and the
degree of A. b., in course on Hon. Dorman
b. Eaton Honorary degrees were con-
ferred as follows: Civil engineer, Professor
V. G. Barbour Of Burlington: doctor of di-
vinity, Rev Warren Hale Landon of Rut-
land and Rev. j. ID. Kingsbury of Bradford,
Mass; doctor of divinity tad eUndem), Rev.
Francis b. Wheeler of PoughSeepsie, n. Y,
and President George F. Huntington, d D.,
of Alma College, Michigan; doctor of laws
Hon Edward j. Phelps, American minister
to England. The annual corporation dim
ner was held at the Van Ness House plates
being laid for two hundred persons At the
close speeches were made by Governor
Ormsbee, President Buckham, Hon. Dor
man b. Eaton of New York, Hon. T f.
Wales and others. Substantial additions
were made to the University century fund,
which now amounts to 100000. The presi-
dents levee, held at the new Billings H.
brary in the evening" was brilliant affair
AT Middlebury College, June 2S an adj
dress was delivered before the alumni by
George f. Plumb of the Chicago Ne,cS,
upon the general subject of newspapers and
journalism. Among other things, he said
If the making of a newspaper is the in
spiration of the journalist. the columns of
his paper will be decent if not brilliant, its
utterances honest if not rhetorical, its news
candid if not tiattering and its whole tone
wholesome and moral If not witty and
entertaining. Every profession has its hum
bugs and charlatans, but in the vast ma
lority OF cases the successful editor is the
honest one. ! am aware that there is
tlippancy that sneers at the veracity of the
press, but charge the fact that in morality
and integrity any newspaper, good or bad,
is far above the people who patronize it,
The newspaper appeals to the public for
patronage, like the product of any other in
dustry, and publisher has no right to claim
exemption from any rule in the sale of his
wares that is applied to the manufacturer
of other articles. The editor has no right to
solicit patronage upon any other ground
than the excellence of his product. If a
newspaper deserves success 1t will achieve
! it. The speaker asserted that there is not
! in this country field of labor so inviting to
! the cultivated and ambitious young man as
! that of journalism. He called attention to
| the notable lack of college education of
! the men in the profession. In New York,
! Chicago, Boston and st. Louis are constella-
! tons of strong and influential journals.
Here, if anywhere. the American college
should be represented. Statistics, however,
| show that six only of the nineteen strong
and influential journals in these cities are
edited by classically educated men; that
| they give employment to S2l persons, of
whom only ODD, fraction more than twenty
six in one hundred, have college education.
| The causes leading to this result he believed
| to be four in number. First, the majority
of college students are country born and
| their impressions of newspapers are gathered
! from the hebdomadal print of the country,
hence it is not strange that they are not at
tracted by the profession of journalism as
they leave college. Second, most students
make their choice of a profession before
| they matriculate, the selection often being
made by an ambitious father or fond mother
and the supply of vocations is exhausted
before the American newspaper can present
its claims or make its demands. Third, the
influences and training in college are as
sovereign as the students own preferences
in determining the choice of profession
| The professor of Greek, Latin or mathe-
MATES too frequently knows little else, and
is seldom regarded by his own pupils as an
authority on any other subject. The inspira-
ton of the pupil is caught from the teacher,
and the student is oftentimes farther from be-
fitted for journalism upon his graduation
from, that at his entrance upon, his college
course; and lastly, to whichever of the
other learned professions the studies of the
college curriculum are adjuvant they are
not auxiliary, except in an exceedingly
limited degree, to that of journalism" This
address was received with much favor by
the large and cultivated audience which
heard it. 1t was followed by spirited
poem by the Hon. Walter f. Howard of
Fair Haven in which loyalty was exalted
and the reasonable politics that overthrows
the freedom and purity of elections was de-
nounced. This was followed by an able
memorial address on the late Rev. DIR. Tru-
man NJ. Post, by the Hon. Daniel Roberts
of Burlington, and then there was dinner
and social reunion at the Addison House.
In the evening occurred the prize speaking
by the freshmen and sophomore classes.
The exercises by the graduating class of Mid
dlebury College We're held the 29th. These
honorary degrees, among others, were con-
ferred; A. NJ. on f.. l.. Temple of Rutl and;
DID,, on Rev. George Cannot of Boston,
Rev. Benjamin Larabee, missionary in Per-
STA for thirty-three years, and Rev. G., w
Phillips of Rutland; LID, on Hon. Mel
vile f. Stone, editor of the Chicago Daily
| NelCS, and Interstate Commerce Commits
sioner Aldace +. Walker of Rutland. The
concert and a reception at President Brai-
ardss in the evening closed the commence
ment exercises.